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Kara Gillian series
Kara Gillian series — by Diana Rowland. Genres and Sub-Genres Urban Fantasy / Police Procedural / Mystery Series Description or Overview Kara is a brand new homicide detective in Beaulac’s tiny police force. She’s also a summoner. That would be a summoner of demons. When trying to summon a lower demon, she accidentally brings through something else; a beautiful creature named Rhyzkahl, who seems to know her every dream and desire, and doesn’t hesitate to offer to satisfy those desires. When a horribly mutilated body is found, and Kara is called to the scene, she knows it’s the work of The Symbol Man, and is shocked when she’s put in charge of the investigation. However, she’s determined to get to the bottom of this shocking, brutal killer and will stop at nothing to find him. ~ My Bookish Ways Lead's Species * Summoner — summons demons Primary Supe *Demons What Sets it Apart * Narrative Type and Narrators * First person narrative told by Kara Gillian, protagonist. Books in Series Kara Gillian series: # Mark of the Demon (2009) # Blood of the Demon (2010) # Secrets of the Demon (2011) # Sins of the Demon (2012) # Touch of the Demon (2012) ~ Chapters 1–3 # Fury of the Demon (2014) # Vengeance of the Demon (2015) # Legacy of the Demon (2016) # Rise of the Demon () (Author states on website FAQ her intention for nine books.) Shorts, Anthologies and Guides *none yet Other Series and Writings White Trash Zombie series: ''' Themes World Building [http://www.dianarowland.com/kara-gillian-glossary.html Diana Rowland: '''Glossary of All Things Demon] Setting Beaulac, Louisiana Places: * Wastewater Reclamation Facilities * Nord du Lac Neurological Rehabilitation Center * Demon realm and Earth - specifically a small fictional town in Louisiana * Larouche’s place: Supernatural Elements ✥ Demons (12 species), magic users, demon summoners, angels, mortal realm, demon realm, demonic lords (like demigods), portals, golems, Glossary: * Qaztahl: demon lord * Mraztur: group of enemy lords * Plexus: * Essence Blades: created by Lord Mzatal ** Khatur — wielder: Lord Mzatal ** Xhan — wielder: Lord Rhyzkahl ** Vshul — wielder: Lord Szerain * Illius: equivalent of arcane vultures who feed on stray essence from dead or dying creatures * Grove: network connectin the lands of the demon lords and a magical entity on its own * Nexus: focal point of power; it can supercharge rituals done on top of it * Shikvihr: ritual—each ring has eleven sigils * Floaters': floating sigils, that eliminate the need for chalk or blood drawings. Faster means a better chance of survival—Kara will be able to use if she masters the shikvihr ritual * * Syraza: * Zharkat: Translation: Beloved. Both a term of endearment and a title for a human who is very closely (emotionally and potentially physically) associated with a lord. For example: Kara Gillian is sometimes referred to as zharkat of Mzatal in the demon realm and Mzatal frequently calls Kara by this term. Signifies a drastic increase in status compared to other humans. * Ptarl: A demahnk (elder) syraza who serves as a counselor/advisor to a demon lord. Of the 11 lords, three - Kadir, Rhyzkahl, and Szerain, are estranged from their ptarl. The ptarls share a deep and profound bond with their lord. Although they tend to stay neutral among the lords, the presence and word of a ptarl is greatly respected. * Demahnk: An elder demon, for now refers only to elder syraza and usually to a ptarl or advisor. They are slightly different in appearance than other syraza, being of slightly taller stature and having ridges on their torso. The demahnk are capable of transporting several individuals over great distance. ✮ [http://www.dianarowland.com/kara-gillian-glossary.html Diana Rowland: Glossary of All Things Demon] 'Groups & Organizations': * Police Department World The first four books are police procedurals with a pinch of magic and a side order of demons—all kinds of demons. By book 5, the action has moved to the demon realm, where the villains are just as crazy, but much more powerful than those in the mortal realm. In this world, there are 12 species, or levels, of demons who live, not in Hell, but in a realm separate from mortal Earth. The demon world is ruled by the 11 demonic lords, who can be compared to demi-gods. The heroine of the series is Kara Gillian, a homicide detective in small-town Beaulac, Louisiana (think Bon Temps plus demons minus vampires). Kara is also a newbie summoner—a mortal who can call forth demons. The demons in this series are interesting—not at all like the demons from hell in most paranormal fiction. As Aunt Tess says in Secrets of the Demon, “The demons are not demonic and the demonic are not demons”—just cryptic enough to be intriguing. Don't get me wrong, though, many of these demons are not at all friendly, and some are evil through and through. The humor of the series comes in the interplay among the characters—lots of sarcasm and some light profanity, which also makes the dialogue very realistic. My only quibble with the series is that we have to wait a whole year between books. You almost have to go back and skim through the previous book to catch yourself up on the story line. ~ Fang-tastic Fiction: Diana Rowland: KARA GILLIAN SERIES * [http://www.dianarowland.com/kara-gillian-glossary.html Diana Rowland: Glossary of All Things Demon] Protagonist ✥ Kara Gillian is a strong, tough heroine with just enough insecurity and self-flagellation to make her vulnerable and likeable—much more real and down-to-earth than the usual multi-weapon, black-leather-clad, whiny heroines that proliferate in the UF world. Kara’s relationships with her fellow police officers are fascinating and amusing as she tries to put a human face on the demon-connected incidents that she must explain to her superiors and write up in her police reports. ~ Fang-tastic Fiction: Diana Rowland: KARA GILLIAN SERIES Supporting Cast ✥ Kara’s best friend is Jill Faciane, a police department forensic specialist, and their friendly but sarcastic dialogue heightens the humor and humanity of their characters. Kara’s magic-inclined Aunt Tessa also plays a major role in the series, especially when she has a soul-draining experience with the villainous Symbol Man, who is trying to summon the demonic lord Rhyzkahl (rhymes with "please call"). Rhyzkahl himself is also a leading character. Kara first summons him by mistake in book 1 when she is trying to summon a lesser demon, but Rhyzkahl takes a liking to Kara and works his way into her life—especially her sex life, to the consternation of Ryan Kristoff, her would-be boyfriend. Ryan and Zachary ("Zack") Garner are FBI agents, and they partner up with Kara on a multi-level police task force that handles all of the woo-woo cases in southern Louisiana. Ryan provides a succinct summary of Kara's life at one point when he says, "Is it the usual? Life in danger, world ending, nasty magic creatures running around unchecked?" (Sins of the Demon, p. 195) ~ Fang-tastic Fiction: Diana Rowland: KARA GILLIAN SERIES Homicide detective with the Beaulac, LA police. She's a summoner of demons from another realm. Snarky and quick witted, she has more than her fair share of courage, especially when angry. She possesses the unique ability to summon a demon lord without assistance. ~ Shelfari Book Cover Blurbs ✤ BOOK ONE BLURB—Mark of the Demon (2009): Cop and conjurer of demons, she's a woman in danger of losing control - to a power that could kill…. Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives—and souls—of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore. Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head. ~ Goodreads | Mark of the Demon #1 ✤ BOOK TWO BLURB—Blood of the Demon (2010): BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, MAN AND DEMON, SHE’S ABOUT TO FACE THE ONE THING SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE. Welcome to the world of Kara Gillian, a cop with a gift. Not only does she have the power of “othersight” to see what most people can’t even imagine, but she’s become the exclusive summoner of a demon lord. Or maybe it’s the other way around. The fact is, with two troublesome cases on her docket and a handsome FBI agent under her skin, Kara needs the help of sexy, insatiable Lord Rhyzkahl more than he needs her. Because these two victims, linked by suspicious coincidence, haven’t just been murdered. Something has eaten their souls. It’s a case with roots in the arcane, but whose evil has flowered among the rich, powerful, and corrupt in Beaulac, Louisiana. And as the killings continue, Kara soon realizes how much there’s still to learn about demons, men, and things that kill in the night and how little time she has to learn it. ~ Goodreads | Blood of the Demon #2 ✤ BOOK THREE BLURB—Secrets of the Demon (2011): Homicide detective Kara Gillian has a special talent: she can sense the "arcane" in our world, and there's quite a bit of it, even in Beaulac, Louisiana. She's also a summoner of demons, and works on a task force that deals with supernatural crimes. Her partners are attractive and smart FBI agents, but they're not summoners, and they're not telling Kara why they are on this special force with her. To complicate things even more, Kara has pledged herself to one of the most powerful of demons—Demon Lord Rhyzkahl—who helped save her partner's life, but now expects things in return. Meanwhile, she's trying to solve a string of murders that are somehow tied together by money, sex, rock music and...mud. But how can she concentrate on the case when she's not even sure who—or what—her partners are? Secrets of the Demon is the exciting third installment of the Kara Gillian series. ~ Goodreads | Secrets of the Demon #3 ✤ BOOK FOUR BLURB—Sins of the Demon (2012): Louisiana homicide detective Kara Gillian is doing her best to cope with everything that's happened to her over the past year, all while s continuing to hone her skills as a demon summoner. But lately she's beginning to wonder if there's a little too much demon in her world. She has a demon for a roommate, the demonic lord Rhyzkahl is still interested in her for reasons she can't fathom, and now someone in the demon realm is trying to summon her. And there's no way that can end well. Meanwhile, people who've hurt Kara in the past are dropping dead. Kara is desperate to find the reasons for the deaths to clear her own name, but when she realizes there's an arcane pattern to the deaths, she knows that both the human and the demon worlds may be at risk unless she finds out who's behind it all. She's in a race against the clock and in a battle for her life that just may take her to hell and back.Sins of the Demon is the exciting fourth installment of the Kara Gillian series. ~ Goodreads | Sins of the Demon #4 ✤ BOOK FIVE BLURB—Touch of the Demon (2012): Kara Gillian is in some seriously deep trouble. She’s used to summoning supernatural creatures from the demon realm to our world, but now the tables have been turned and she’s the one who’s been summoned. Kara is the prisoner of yet another demonic lord, but she quickly discovers that she’s far more than a mere hostage. Yet waiting for rescue has never been her style, and Kara has no intention of being a pawn in someone else’s game. There’s intrigue to spare as she digs into the origin of the demonic lords and discovers the machinations of humans and demons alike. Kara is shocked to discover that she has her own history in the demon realm, and that the ties between her and the demonic lords Rhyzkahl and Szerain go back farther than she could have ever imagined. But treachery runs rampant among all the lords, and she’s going to have to stay sharp in order to keep from being used to further their own agendas. The lords have a secret that dates back to earth’s ancient history, and it could have devastating repercussions for both worlds. Yet more than anything else, Kara’s abilities as a homicide detective will be put to the test—because this time the murder she has to solve is her own. ~ Goodreads | Touch of the Demon #5 ✤ BOOK SIX BLURB—Fury of the Demon (2014): Who can Kara Gillian trust? — That’s what she’d like to know. Demon summoner and now a consultant for the FBI, Kara Gillian has spent the past several months in the demon realm training while recovering from the treachery of the demonic lord Rhyzkahl. Yet though the torment and betrayal she suffered at his hands continues to plague her, she’s not about to let that slow her down. Kara returns to Earth to search for a fellow summoner being held by allies of Rhyzkahl. Aiding in the hunt are Kara’s friends, FBI agents Ryan Kristoff and Zack Garner. However, Kara and Zack know Ryan’s true identity—though he himself does not—and questions of loyalty threaten to tear apart their previously close-knit group. Rhyzkahl’s machinations run deeper than they could have ever imagined, and the search for the missing summoner takes on a desperate edge while dangers from ancient demon oaths loom and enemies increase in power and numbers. Armed with her skills, wit, and attitude, it is up to Kara to save her friends and her world. ~ Goodreads | Fury of the Demon #6 ✤ BOOK SEVEN BLURB—Vengeance of the Demon (2015): Demon summoner Kara Gillian is on the wrong side of the law, and there's evidence to prove it. Too bad the courts don't accept "fighting demonic forces" as justification for murder and mayhem. Yet Kara has problems that go way beyond her legal woes. When the enemy demonic lords spur their human accomplices into high gear, master summoner Katashi aggressively pursues their goal to establish a permanent gate between Earth and the demon realm. To hell with the consequences for humanity. The line between ally and enemy blurs as Kara gathers the remnants of her posse to prevent a devastating demonic incursion, but a shattered trust may cost them the war and put Kara behind bars. With treachery rife, and her loved ones in danger, Kara must call upon the essence of who she truly is in order to rally back from a crushing loss. : And if she can't, the world is going straight to hell. ~ Goodreads | Vengeance of the Demon #7 ✤ BOOK EIGHT BLURB—Legacy of the Demon (2016): Sidelined demon summoner Kara Gillian has her hands full when dimensional rifts allow demons to cause widespread panic and destruction on Earth. These aren't the human-tolerant summonables she's known before, but demons from the far reaches of the demon realm. Add three demonic lords with conflicting ambitions to the mix, and Kara has the perfect recipe for global disaster. ~ Goodreads | Vengeance of the Demon #8 Category:Series